Easy Ways to Update Your Rented Home Without Damaging a Thing

It might not always feel that way, but your rented home is still your own space.

Why not make it feel as if you belong there and make your mark whilst living there?

Sure - it isn't always easy because many landlords don't like it when you start painting walls or install new fixtures. Luckily, there are many ways to get around that, so that you can still add a personal touch to your living space without damaging anything and losing out on your deposit.

Here are five easy ways to update your rented home safely and responsibly:

1 - Ask permission

It seems pretty simple but many tenants don't ask their landlords if they can make changes to their rental unit. They might be too scared to approach them or they didn't even think of asking when they made the changes.

It is an easy way to include the landlord in your plans and to show that you can be trusted.

Some landlords are very casual about minor changes as long as you can change it back when you leave. If you don't ask, you'll never know!

2 - Hang plants from a tension rod

If you live in a flat and you don't have a garden, plants can always brighten up a room.

Avoid drilling holes in the walls because this means you will have to fill it up when you leave. Rather use a tension rod to hang plants from.

Make sure that you take down the right measurements so that the rod isn't too big or too small. You should also check to see how much weight it can hold before purchasing it. Then you simply put it up and hang your favourite plants.

It is the perfect way to add a personal touch to a reading corner or a breakfast nook. 

3 - Use washi tape to spruce up your shower door

Bathrooms are tricky to redecorate if you can't install or remove any of the fixtures.

A great way to make the bathroom your own is to decorate the shower door with washi tape.

Washi tape is usually used in scrapbooking and other crafts but it is very useful if you want to create geometric designs on your shower door. You immediately change the look of the bathroom and you can simply remove the tape when your rental agreement is over. 

4 - Use removable contact paper and wallpaper

If you are renting a furnished place, you can change the look of the furniture by adding removable contact paper. That old set of drawers can easily be turned into a modern masterpiece by sticking contact paper with funky designs on it.

Similarly, if the walls are boring you, you can add removable wallpaper to change the look of the room. All you do is buy the pattern you want, clean the walls, and stick it on!

Just make sure that it is easy to peel off once you leave. 

5 - Use vertical storage

If you are renting a flat or a small house, then storage can be a big problem. Soon you will find that things are thrown all over, you can't find anything, and the whole place is a huge mess.

A great way to stay organized is to make use of vertical storage solutions. Instead of buying a chest to dump all your stuff, use hanging baskets instead. You can hang it in a corner of the room and fill it with all the things you don't really use. It works as storage and as an aesthetic effect, too!

Decorating a rental unit is difficult but not impossible with these five tips!